Mohler amendment to SBC Constitution passes

ORLANDO, Fla.—Southern Baptist Convention messengers approved an amendment proposed by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler to the SBC Constitution Wednesday morning during the 2026 SBC annual meeting in Orlando, Fla.

The motion received 6,028 votes in favor (74.66 percent) and 2,026 votes against (25.09 percent) of 8,074 total ballots cast.

A second vote will occur at the 2027 SBC annual meeting. If it passes there, the constitutional amendment will go into effect.

Prior to the vote, Mohler spoke in support of his motion to amend the SBC Constitution to add an enumerated sixth item under Article 3, paragraph 1, clarifying cooperating Southern Baptist churches do not “endorse a woman serving in the office or function of a pastor/elder/overseer.”

“There’s a great line that divides liberal and biblical evangelicalism, and you can see it on this very issue,” Mohler told messengers.

“The Southern Baptist convention, in adopting the Baptist Faith and Message in the year 2000, stated confessionally that the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by scripture. Subsequent years … have demonstrated that we need constitutional clarity on this issue,” he continued.

In further support of his motion, Mohler asserted it is consistent with the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, or Second London Confession, written by Particular Baptists in England. Particular Baptists held to Calvinist theology.

Concerns raised, BWIM responds

Before ballots were cast, a messenger directed an urgent request to SBC President Clint Pressley, seeking clarification on the motion’s intent and its implications for women serving in ministry.

“The amendment says what it says,” Pressley responded.

Following the vote, Baptist Women in Ministry issued a statement, expressing concern and disappointment over the SBC’s decision:

“Baptist Women in Ministry laments the actions of the 2026 Southern Baptist Convention. … We express our solidarity with women in ministry who have been harmed by this vote, the hateful rhetoric and propaganda leading up to the vote, and the damaging theology the vote represents,” the statement reads.

The statement continued by expressing Baptist women deserve affirmation and respect and calling on advocates to stand for women’s equality in ministry positions.

“Even though patriarchal theology and its enforcement are not new to the SBC, we will not ignore acts of injustice. Every woman and girl is worthy of someone speaking on her behalf,” the statement continues.

Other motions referred, postponed

Of the 30 motions made by messengers during Tuesday convention business, only Mohler’s proposal made it to the floor for deliberation Wednesday morning. Robbie Gibson’s similar motion, which also sought to suspend Standing Rule 6, was referred to the Executive Committee.

Motions related to amending bylaws, venue contracts for the annual meeting and Pastors Conference, vaccination and alcohol policies, payments to contractors, and a request for legal costs during the 2020-25 SBC fiscal year were automatically referred to the named entities.

Baptist General Convention of Texas Executive Board member Malcolm Yarnell’s motion to request a report from the six SBC seminaries and Lifeway Christian Resources on theological errors was automatically referred to the named entities.

All motions regarding the creation of task forces were postponed indefinitely. Various motions related to messenger participation, standards for worship, virtual meeting participation, future annual meeting schedules, and seminary expense and operating assets were ruled out of order.

Motions to expand deaf ministry and discipleship, as well as to address and condemn the dangers of kinism—the belief “racial segregation and ethnic homogeneity are biblically ordained and should be practiced within Christian communities”—were ruled out of order because they were presented in the form of resolutions.

Chair Bryant Sims noted the issue of deaf ministry would be addressed in a forthcoming report from the Executive Committee and was already under consideration by the Committee on Resolutions. Resolution 4 “On the Church’s Opportunity for Evangelism, Discipleship, and Care for Persons with Disabilities and Their Families” passed overwhelmingly later in the morning.